Help me learn to squat

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  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    Start with a large balance ball against a wall, progress to wall squats, start free squatting, add free weights, then start with the heavy equipment.

    Don't be stupid and ruin your knees while you're heavy or you'll just have issues as you age.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    mreichard wrote: »
    Today, for the first time since I started trying to do them, squats seemed to make sense to me.

    I've been working at a lower weight (and doing some light goblet squats) to try to learn the motion. Today, for the first time I felt like I was using my whole legs and glutes to push up. Really cool --- felt much easier.

    The cues that seemed to help the most were pushing my knees out and having my weight on the outsides of my feet. That felt like it brought in other muscles that I was not using before.

    Excellent :)
  • lizzelspark
    lizzelspark Posts: 178 Member
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    Check out Layne Norton squat video there's so many things to remember to do with the squat try wearing a weight lifter belt so you can feel if your filling up your belly with air which helps and when you come up engage your glutes don't ever lose your form once you feel your loosing it rack it you don't want to get hurt .
  • ArmyofAdrian
    ArmyofAdrian Posts: 177 Member
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    Glad you're seeing progress. The squat is a challenge for me as well. One thing that helped me a bit was to flex the glutes at the beginning and at the top of each rep. This got my hips in line with my feet.

    I'm going to try what you're doing with pushing the knees out and weight on the outsides of my feet; I get lateral hip pain after squats that stays around for a few days. Hopefully that will help.
  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
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    Ditch those shoes.

    Squatting with cushioned shoes is like trying to squat on top of a mattress - unstable.

    Use some flat shoes or go barefoot.


    Seems like everyone has addressed your other issues already about pushing your knees out and keeping your feet firmly planted without collapsing.
  • theWODdoll
    theWODdoll Posts: 90 Member
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    Keep your chest up in ALL of your reps. You just have some limited range of motion in your thoracic spine (middle back) which is causing you to lean forward during your squat, not bad tho! Work on the mechanics before adding weights. I'm gonna post some videos on MFP soon if you're interested in learning some techniques!
  • codsterlaing95
    codsterlaing95 Posts: 221 Member
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    Get better footwear. Do not using running shoes to squat/deadlift/etc.
  • mreichard
    mreichard Posts: 235 Member
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    Yeah, I forgot to mention in my update above - the other thing that I did was to start squatting barefoot. Feels much more stable.

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